Joyce Vance, a former federal prosecutor appearing on MSNBC, said this week that reportedly recorded telephone discussions that involved then-President Donald Trump and local officials involved in the certification of election results in Michigan could help prove his knowing involvement in obstruction schemes.
Vance predicted subpoenas in the case of any relevant prosecutor not already possessing the newly reported audio. Some have suggested the discussions could demonstrate attempted bribery — meaning criminal activity — after still serving Republican Party chairwoman Ronna McDaniel offered legal assistance for the local officials put under pressure in the evident event that they went along with pro-Trump ambitions for the handling of the 2020 results. Trump himself reportedly agreed with that prospect.
“There will be subpoenas all around for sure if there are prosecutors who don’t already have their hands on these tapes,” Vance said, adding: “Just think about how granular this shows Trump’s involvement was. This is the president of the United States making phone calls to county officials in Wayne County, Michigan, in the wake of this election. And if you’re a prosecutor and you’re looking to show that Trump was aware of and deeply involved in this scheme to obstruct the certification of the vote […] then this is a great piece of evidence to put in front of the jury.”
Trump is currently facing criminal charges in two jurisdictions for his targeting of the results from the 2020 presidential election, with the federal case from that duo now before a court of appeals in D.C. for the resolution of Trump’s claims that he has wide-ranging legal protections by virtue of his time in office that should completely stop the case. The Supreme Court rejected a request from Special Counsel Jack Smith, who brought the charges, for an even quicker resolution in order to move towards trial, though the appeals court at the below judicial level agreed to an expedited schedule for the arguments that it’s hearing.
Check out Vance’s commentary below:
